Device for fastening an accessory to a support part

ABSTRACT

A device for fastening an accessory to a support has a plug-in part ( 1 ) with a plug-in shaft ( 3 ) to be inserted into a recess in the support, and a head shaft ( 7 ) that has a head plate ( 8 ) and a counterplate ( 10 ) between which an engagement system ( 9 ) is developed. A guide strap ( 11 ) that has a guide recess ( 12 ) is formed on the counterplate ( 10 ), which is located on the side facing the head shaft ( 7 ). There is also a slider ( 2 ) that is mounted to be movable in the guide recess ( 12 ) toward the engagement system ( 9 ) and is made with a locking system ( 16 ) that is engaged with the engagement system ( 9 ) when the slider ( 2 ) is advanced into a locking position. This allows an accessory with a section located between the slider ( 2 ) and the counterplate ( 10 ) to be connected to the support.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

This invention relates to a device for fastening an accessory to asupport.

2. Description of the Related Art

One known device for fastening an accessory to a support is disclosed byDE 199 63 721 A1. In this device for fastening an accessory to asupport, there is a plug-in member that has a plug-in shaft on which areformed means of locking in the form of spring arms placed on both sidesof a central strap and in a foot area on the central strap, to fix theplug-in member on the support, and that has a head shaft that isconnected to the plug-in member and has a head plate and a counterplate,between which is formed an engagement system. A head member movablelaterally relative to the plug-in member is engaged with the engagementsystem after first latching irreversibly, to which in turn an accessorycan be fastened essentially with zero clearance by a detachable snapconnector. This allows the accessory to be fastened to the support witha certain tolerance.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The task underlying the invention is to describe a device for fasteningan accessory to a support with which the accessory can be very stronglyfastened to the support.

Because of the existence in the device pursuant to the invention of aslider movable in a guide recess of a guide strap formed on thecounterplate, which has a locking system that is engaged with theengagement system in a locked position, the accessory can be locked withthe device pursuant to the invention with an appropriate configurationof the accessory, so that the accessory is connected with extremely highstrength to the support in the absence of destructive force effects.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention,and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent and theinvention itself will be better understood by reference to the followingdescription of embodiments of the invention taken in conjunction withthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 in perspective view, an example of embodiment of a devicepursuant to the invention with a plug-in part and with a slider inretracted position;

FIG. 2 in cross section, the example of embodiment of FIG. 1 connectedto an accessory with the slider in an advanced locking position; and

FIG. 3 in a cross sectional view rotated by 90 degrees from theillustration of FIG. 2, the example of embodiment of FIG. 1 in thearrangement according to FIG. 2, with the plug-in part in a positionengaged with a support.

Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding partsthroughout the several views. Although the exemplifications set outherein illustrate embodiments of the invention, in several forms, theembodiments disclosed below are not intended to be exhaustive or to beconstrued as limiting the scope of the invention to the precise formsdisclosed.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 in perspective view shows an example of embodiment of the devicepursuant to the invention made of a hard elastic synthetic material thathas a plug-in part 1 and a slider 2. The plug-in part 1 equipped with acylindrical plug-in shaft 3, on which two diametrically opposite springtabs 4 are formed as means of locking in this example of embodiment.Each spring tab 4 is bonded to a foot area 5 of the plug-in shaft 3 andprojects diagonally radially away from the foot area 5 beyond theplug-in shaft 3. The plug-in part 1 has a cover shield 6 on the end ofthe plug-in shaft 3 opposite the foot area 5, which extends radiallyover the plug-in shaft 3 and is crowned toward the foot area 5 of theplug-in shaft 3.

On the side of the cover shield 6 opposite the plug-in shaft 3, theplug-in part 1 has a head shaft 7 that carries on its end facing awayfrom the cover shield 6 a head plate 8 as a head terminal, which borderson the end an annular groove 9 adjacent to it introduced into the headshaft 7 as an engagement system. A counterplate 10 is formed oppositethe head plate 8, which extends radially outward away from the headshaft 7 beyond the cover shield 6. A guide strap 11 oriented essentiallyat a right angle to the counterplate 10 is formed on the end of thecounterplate 10 away from the head shaft 7 extending to the side of thecounterplate 10 facing the head shaft 7, in which is made a rectangularguide recess 12 whose long side is oriented at a distance from andparallel to the counterplate 10, and into which the slider 2 is insertedmovably in the illustration according to FIG. 1.

In the example of embodiment of FIG. 1, the slider 2 has a guide plate13 reaching through the guide recess 12 that is made with a crosssection corresponding to the dimensions of the guide recess 12, andcarries an end plate 14 at one end that faces away from the plug-in part1 in the illustration of FIG. 1, which projects beyond the guide plate13 in at least some sections. There is a projecting locking lug 15 on aflat face of the guide plate 13 as a locking structure, which is steepat the side facing the end plate 14 and relatively level at the sideaway from the end plate 14, so that the locking lug 15 can pass troughthe guide recess 12 with relatively little resistance to being slid inwhen the slider 2 slides toward the plug-in part 1, but after thelocking lug 15 grips behind the guide strap 11, the slider 2 can againbe brought into an arrangement in which the locking lug 15 is located onthe side of the guide strap 11 away from the head shaft 7 only withsubstantially greater resistance to withdrawal.

The slider 2 is also designed with a locking system in the form offork-shaped locking arms 16 opposite one another that are formed on theguide plate 13 at the end of the guide plate 13 opposite the end plate14, and extend in an extension of the guide plate 13. The dimensions ofthe locking arms 16 and the positioning of the guide recess 12 arealigned so that when the slider 2 slides toward the head shaft 7 into anadvanced locking position, the locking arms 16 lie in the annular groove9 with essentially no clearance in the radial direction, and the steepside of the locking lug 15 rests against the side of the guide strap 11racing the head shaft 7.

FIG. 2 shows in cross section the example of embodiment according toFIG. 1 combined with an accessory 17 designed as a so-called “retainer”for an airbag mount, with the slider 2 in the advanced locking positionin which there is a cross-strap 18 of the accessory 17 between thecounterplate 10 and the guide plate 13, and the locking arms 16 arepositioned in the annular groove 9 with regional covering by the headplate 8. The end plate 14 in the advanced locking position lies againstthe side of the guide strap 11 away from the head shaft 7, while thesteep side of the locking lug 15 is opposite the side of the guide strap11 facing the head shaft 7. The accessory 17 is thus firmly connected tothe device pursuant to the invention with this connection beingdetachable only by an intentional action with a substantial exertion offorce on the slider 2 to overcome the detention of the steep side of thelocking lug 15 on the guide strap 11, with a motion away from the headshaft 7. The accessory 17 in this system can be connected, for example,with a support 19 designed as a flat support plate.

FIG. 3, in a cross section rotated by 90 degrees relative to theillustration of FIG. 2, shows the example of embodiment according toFIG. 1 in the arrangement according to FIG. 2, with the plug-in part 1in an engaged position with the support 19. It is clear from FIG. 3 thatin the engaged position, the spring tabs 4 grip beneath the edge of arecess made in the support 19 and the cover shield 6 rests against theside of the support 19 opposite the spring tabs 4 with a certainpre-stress, so that the device pursuant to the invention and with it theaccessory 17 attached to it are strongly joined to the support 19, andaside from an intentional sliding of the slider 2 out of the lockedposition when slid forward, in the absence of an imposed forcedestroying the cross-strap 18 or the arrangement of the plug-in part 1and the slider 2 in the advanced locked position, it is irreversiblyconnected to the support 19.

While this invention has been described as having a preferred design,the present invention can be further modified within the spirit andscope of this disclosure. This application is therefore intended tocover any variations, uses, or adaptations of the invention using itsgeneral principles. Further, this application is intended to cover suchdepartures from the present disclosure as come within known or customarypractice in the art to which this invention pertains and which fallwithin the limits of the appended claims.

1-6. (canceled)
 7. A device for fastening an accessory to a support,said device comprising: a plug-in part with a plug-in shaft havinglocking members formed thereon for fixing said plug-in part on thesupport; a head shaft connected to the plug-in shaft and including ahead plate and a counterplate, and an engagement system formed betweensaid head plate and said counterplate; a guide strap formed on saidcounterplate at a lateral distance from said head plate and having aguide recess, said guide recess located on a side of said guide strapfacing said head shaft at a distance from said counterplate; and aslider mounted for sliding movement in said guide recess toward saidengagement system, said slider including a locking system engaged withsaid engagement system when said slider is advanced into a lockedposition.
 8. The device of claim 7, wherein a locking structure isformed on the slider, said locking structure preventing said slider frommoving out of said engagement structure in said locked position.
 9. Thedevice of claim 8, wherein said engagement structure is an annulargroove and said locking system has two fork-shaped locking arms disposedopposite one another, said locking arms positioned in said annulargroove in said locked position.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein saidslider includes a rectangular flat plate mounted in said guide recess,said flat plate having a flat face positioned parallel to saidcounterplate, said locking arms formed on one end of said flat plate.11. The device of claim 10, wherein an end plate is formed on an end ofsaid guide plate opposite said locking arms, at least a section of saidend plate projecting beyond said guide plate.
 12. The device of claim11, wherein said locking structure is a locking lug projecting beyondsaid guide plate.